t 


SOME    OF   ^SOP'S    FABLES 


WITH 


MODERN    INSTANCES 


SOME    OF 


^SOP'S   FABLES 


WITH 


MODERN    INSTANCES 


SHEWN     IN     DESIGNS 


BY 


RANDOLPH    CALDECOTT 


FROM    NEW   TRANSLATIONS    BY  ALFRED   CALDECOTT,   M.A. 


THE    ENGRAVINGS   BY  J.   D.  COOPER 


Hontion 

MACMILLAN    AND    CO. 
1883 


Printed  by  R.  &  R.  Clark,  Edinburgh. 


1115 
C  \1L^ 


INDEX. 


NUMBER 

I.  The  Fox  and  the  Crow   . 

II.  The  Ass  in  the  Lion's  Skin 

III.  The  Fisherman  and  the  Little  Fish 

IV.  The  Jackdaw  and  the  Doves 

V.  The  Coppersmith  and  his  Puppy 

VI.  The  Frogs  desiring  a  King 

VII.  The  Dog  and  the  Wolf  . 

VIII.  The  Stag  looking  into  the  Water 

IX.  The  Frogs  and  the  Fighting  Bulls 

X.  The  Lion  and  Other  Beasts 

XI.  The  Fox  and  the  Stork 

XII.  The  Horse  and  the  Stag 

XIII.  The  Cock  and  the  Jewel 

XIV.  The  Ass,  the  Lion,  and  the  Cock 
XV.  The  Wolf  and  the  Lamb 

XVI.  The  Man  and  his  Two  Wives 

XVII.  The  Fox  without  a  Tail 
XVIII.   The  Eagle  and  the  Fox 

XIX.   The  Ox  and  the  Frog     . 

XX.  The  Hawk  chasing  the  Dove 


PAGE 
I 

5 

9 

13 

17 

21 

25 
29 

Z5 
37 
41 
45 
49 
S3 
57 
61 

65 
69 

73 

77 


NOTE. 

Sixteen  of  these  Twenty  Fables  have  been  handed  down  to  us  in  a 
Greek  form :  for  these  Halm's  text  has  been  used.  As  to  the  other 
four — Number  IX.  is  from  Phaedrus,  and  retains  a  flavour  of  artificiality; 
Numbers  XIII.  and  XX.  are  from  Latin  versions;  and  Number  X.  is 
from  a  French  one. 

The  Translations  aim  at  replacing  the  florid  style  of  our  older  English 
versions,  and  the  stilted  harshness  of  more  modern  ones,  by  a  plainness 
and  terseness  more  nearly  like  the  character  of  the  originals. 

In  the  following  cases  the  Translations   have  been  adapted  to  the 

Designs.     In  Number  I.  f-^^^i-^  has  been  put  for  meat;  in  Number  VIII. 

■a.  pack  of  Hounds  for   a  Lion;   in   Number   XI.  a  Stork  for  a    Crane; 

in    Number  XIX.  a  Frog  for  a   Toad;    and   in   Number  VII.   the   Dog 

should  be  tied  up.      The  reason  of  this  is,  that  in  the  collaboration  the 

Designer  and    Translator  have  not  been   on   terms   of   equal  authority ; 

the    former   has    stood    unshakeably  by    English    tradition,  and    has    had 

his  own  way. 

A.  C. 


.^^Y;r% 


THE    FOX   AND   THE   CROW 


THE    FOX   AND   THE   CROW. 


A     CROW  stole  a  piece  of  cheese  and  alighted  with  it  on  a  tree. 

A  Fox  watched  her,  and  wishing  to  get  hold  of  the  cheese  stood 

underneath  and  began  to  make  compliments  upon  her  size  and  beauty ; 

he  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  she  had  the  best  of  claims  to  be  made 


THE    FOX    AND    THE    CROW. 


Oueen  of  the  Birds,  and  doubtless  it  would  have  been  done  if  she 
had  only  had  a  voice.  The  Crow,  anxious  to  prove  to  him  that  she 
did  possess  a  voice,  began  to  caw  vigorously,  of  course  dropping  the 
cheese.  The  Fox  pounced  upon  it  and  carried  it  off,  remarking  as 
he  went  away,  "  My  good  friend  Crow,  you  have  every  good  quality: 
now  try  to  get  some  common  sense." 


THE  ASS   IN   THE   LION'S   SKIN 


)-J^~ 


THE   ASS   IN   THE    LION'S   SKIN. 


A  N  Ass  who  had  dressed  himself  up  in  a  Lion's  skin  was  mis- 
taken by  everybody  for  a  Hon,  and  there  was  a  stampede  of 
both  herds  and  men.  But  presently  the  skin  was  whisked  off 
by  a  gust  of  wind,  and  the  Ass  stood  exposed ;  and  then  the 
men  all  charged  at  him,  and  with  sticks  and  cudgels  gave  him  a 
sound  drubbing. 


THE    ASS    IN    THE    LION'S    SKIN. 


ciPmm 


V.  i. 


^ 


THE   FISHERMAN    AND   THE   LITTLE   FISH 


THE   FISHERMAN   AND   THE   LITTLE   FISH, 


A  MSHERMAN  cast  his  net  and  caught  a  little  Fish.  The 
little  Fish  begged  him  to  let  him  go  for  the  present,  as  he 
was  so  small,  and  to  catch  him  again  to  more  purpose  later  on, 
when  he  was  bulkier.  But  the  Fisherman  said:  "Nay,  I  should 
be  a  very  simpleton  to  let  go  a  good  thing  I  have  got  and  run 
after  a  doubtful  expectation." 


THE    FISHERMAN    AND    THE    LITTLE    FISH. 


1 1 


^Z' 


THE  JACKDAW  AND  THE   DOVES. 


li:l!.in,ii*i|!ri'S»«|:ii:i 


^\uk^i 


THE  JACKDAW  AND  THE  DOVES. 


A  JACKDAW  observing  how  well  cared  for  were  the  Doves  in  a 
certain  dovecote  whitewashed  himself  and  went  to  take  a  part 
in  the  same  way  of  living.  The  Doves  were  friendly  enough  so  long 
as  he  kept  silence,  taking  him  for  one  of  themselves  ;  but  when  he 
once  forgot  himself  and  gave  a  croak  they  immediately  perceived 
his  character,  and  cuffed  him  out.  So  the  Jackdaw,  having  failed 
in   getting   a   share    of   good   things   there,    returned   to   his   brother 


THE  JACKDAW  AND  THE  DOVES. 


15 


Jackdaws.  But  these  latter  not  recognising  him,  because  of  his 
colour,  kept  him  out  of  their  mess  also;  so  that  in  his  desire 
for  two  things  he  got  neither. 


A 


V- 


THE   COPPERSMITH   AND    HIS   PUPPY 


D 


THE   COPPERSMITH   AND    HIS   PUPPY. 


A  CERTAIN  Coppersmith  had  a  Puppy.  While  the  Copper- 
smith was  at  work  the  Puppy  lay  asleep ;  but  when  meal  - 
time  came  he  woke  up.  So  his  master  throwing  him  a  bone,  said  : 
"  You  sleepy  little  wretch  of  a  Puppy,  what  shall  I  do  with  you, 
you  inveterate  sluggard  ?  When  I  am  thumping  on  my  anvil  you 
can  go  to  sleep  on  the  mat ;  but  when  I  come  to  work  my  teeth 
immediately  you  are  wide  awake  and  wagging  your  tail  at  me." 


THE    COPPERSMITH    AND    HIS    PUPPY. 


19 


j^!^ 


THE    FROGS   DESIRING   A    KING 


THE    FROGS   DESIRING   A   KING. 


'  I  'HE  Frogs  were  grieved  at  their  own  lawless  condition,  so  they 
sent  a  deputation  to  Zeus  begging  him  to  provide  them  with 
a  King.  Zeus,  perceiving  their  simplicity,  dropped  a  Log  of  wood 
into  the  pool.  At  first  the  Frogs  were  terrified  by  the  splash,  and 
dived  to  the  bottom ;  but  after  a  while,  seeing  the  Log  remain 
motionless,  they  came  up  again,  and  got  to  despise  it  so  much 
that  they  climbed  up  and  sat  on  it.     Dissatisfied  with  a   King  like 


THE    FROGS    DESIRING    A    KING. 


23 


that,  they  came  again  to  Zeus  and  entreated  him  to  change  their 
ruler  for  them,  the  first  being  altogether  too  torpid.  Then  Zeus 
was  exasperated  with  them,  and  sent  them  a  Stork,  by  whom  they 
were  seized  and  eaten  up. 


THE    DOG   AND   THE   WOLF 


..^' 


THE    DOG   AND   THE   WOLF. 


A      WOLF,  seeing  a  large  Dog  tied  up  with  a  collar,  asked  him  : 

"Who   tied   you    up   and   fed    you   to   be   so  sleek?"      "My 

master,"   answered    the    Dog.      "  Then,"   said    the   Wolf,    "  may   no 

friend   of   mine    be    treated    like   this ;    a    collar    is    as    grievous    as 

starvation." 


THE    DOG    AND    THE    WOLF. 


y- 


,r 


WM 


\- 


THE   STAG   LOOKING   INTO  THE   WATER 


THE   STAG   LOOKING   INTO   THE   WATER. 


A  STAG  parched  with  thirst  came  to  a  spring  of  water.  As 
he  was  drinking  he  saw  his  own  reflection  on  the  water, 
and  was  in  raptures  with  his  horns  when  he  observed  their  splendid 
size  and  shape,  but  was  troubled  about  his  legs,  they  seemed  so 
thin  and  weak.  As  he  was  still  musing,  some  huntsmen  with  a 
pack  of  hounds  appeared  and  disturbed  him,  whereupon  the  Stag 
took  to  flight,  and   keeping  a  good   distance  ahead  so  long  as  the 


THE    STAG    LOOKING    INTO    THE    WATER.  31 

plain  was  free  from  trees,  he  was  being  saved ;  but  when  he 
came  to  a  woody  place  he  got  his  horns  entangled  in  the  branches, 
and  being  unable  to  move  was  seized  by  the  hounds.  When  he 
was  at  the  point  of  death  he  said  to  himself:  "What  a  fool  am  I, 
who  was  on  the  way  to  be  saved  by  the  very  things  which  I  thought 
would  fail  me ;  while  by  those  in  which  I  so  much  trusted  I  am 
brought  to  ruin." 


•--!^  ®1'^^ 


'V> 


,•1 


Ikfe^^ 


. -•'  f 


THE   FROGS  AND   THE   FIGHTING   BULLS 


K^^^  i=^^i/ai'Ljy/^/.^^^  V 


THE   FROGS   AND   THE   FIGHTING   BULLS. 


A 


FROG     in     his     marsh     looking     at     some     Bulls     fighting, 


exclaimed:  "O  dear!  what  sad  destruction  threatens  us 
now  ! "  Another  Frog  asked  him  why  he  said  that,  seeing  that  the 
Bulls  were  only  fighting  for  the  first  place  in  the  herd,  and  that 
they  lived  quite  remote  from  the  Frogs.  "Ah,"  said  the  first,  "it 
is  true  that  our  positions  are  wide  apart,  and  we  are  different  kinds 
of  things,   but   still,  the   Bull  who   will    be  driven  from    the  rule  of 


THE    FROGS    AND    THE    FIGHTING    BULLS. 


35 


the  pasture  will  come  to  lie  in  hiding  in  the  marsh,  and  crush  us 
to  death  under  his  hard  hoofs,  so  that  their  raging  really  does 
closely  concern  the  lives  of  you  and  me." 


•^-^^^^-r.- 


V/^ 


THE    LION    AND   OTHER   BEASTS 


THE   LION   AND   OTHER   BEASTS. 


nnHE  Lion  one  day  went  out  hunting  along  with  three  other 
Beasts,  and  they  caught  a  Stag.  With  the  consent  of  the 
others  the  Lion  divided  it,  and  he  cut  it  into  four  equal  portions; 
but  when  the  others  were  going  to  take  hold  of  their  shares, 
"Gently,  my  friends,"  said  the  Lion;  "the  first  of  these  portions 
is  mine,  as  one  of  the  party;  the  second  also  is  mine,  because  of 
my  rank  among   beasts;    the  third   you  will   yield    me  as  a  tribute 


THE    LION    AND    OTHER    BEASTS. 


39 


to  my  courage  and  nobleness  of  character ;  while,  as  to  the  fourth, — 
why,  if  any  one  wishes  to  dispute  with  me  for  it,  let  him  begin, 
and  we  shall  soon  see  whose  it  will  be. 


/      "  ''^."^rx   — *  ■(  at. 


THE    FOX   AND   THE   STORK 


m  -- 


THE    FOX   AND   THE   STORK. 


•"T^HE  Fox  poured  out  some  rich  soup  upon  a  flat  dish,  tantalising 
the  Stork,  and  making  him  look  ridiculous,  for  the  soup, 
being  a  liquid,  foiled  all  the  efforts  of  his  slender  beak.  In  return 
for  this,  when  the  Stork  invited  the  Fox,  he  brought  the  dinner 
on  the  table  in  a  jug  with  a  long  narrow  neck,  so  that  while  he 
himself  easily  inserted  his  beak  and  took  his  fill,  the  Fox  was 
unable  to  do  the  same,  and  so  was  properly  paid  off. 


THE    FOX    AND    THE    STORK. 


43 


L 


^v^    .-^^^i 

^ 


THE   HORSE   AND   THE   STAG 


j^^-^.M^: 


THE    HORSE   AND   THE   STAG. 


'  I  HERE  was  a  Horse  who  had  a  meadow  all  to  himself  until 
a  Stag  came  and  began  to  injure  the  pasture.  The  Horse, 
eager  to  punish  the  Stag,  asked  a  man  whether  there  was  any 
way  of  combining  to  do  this.  "Certainly,"  said  the  Man,  "if  you 
don't  object  to  a  bridle  and  to  my  mounting  you  with  javelins  in 
my  hand."  The  Horse  agreed,  and  was  mounted  by  the  Man ; 
but,  instead  of  being  revenged  on  the  Stag,  he  himself  became 
a  ser\^ant  to  the  Man. 


THE    HORSE    AND    THE    STAG. 


47 


THE   COCK   AND   THE   JEWEL 


n 


m.^^?^^^^^^' 
^V^'^^ 


THE   COCK   AND   THE   JEWEL. 


A  BARN-DOOR  Cock  while  scratching  up  his  dunghill  came 
upon  a  Jewel.  "  Oh,  why,"  said  he,  "  should  I  find  this 
glistening  thing?  If  some  jeweller  had  found  it  he  would  have 
been  beside  himself  with  joy  at  the  thought  of  its  value  :  but  to 
me  it  is  of  no  manner  of  use,  nor  do  I  care  one  jot  about  it ;  why, 
I  would  rather  have  one  grain  of  barley  than  all  the  jewels  in  the 
world." 


THE    COCK    AND    THE    JEWEL. 


51 


/'v:!*a^i3a^ 


:^p^- 


THE   ASS,  THE    LION,  AND   THE   COCK 


THE   ASS,  THE   LION,   AND   THE   COCK. 

A  N  Ass  and  a  Cock  were  in  a  shed.  A  hungry  Lion  caught 
sight  of  the  Ass,  and  was  on  the  point  of  entering  the 
shed  to  devour  him.  But  he  took  fright  at  the  sound  of  the  Cock 
crowing  (for  people  say  that  Lions  are  afraid  at  the  voice  of  a 
Cock),  and  turned  away  and  ran.  The  Ass,  roused  to  a  lofty 
contempt  of  him  for  being  afraid  of  a  Cock,  went  out  to  pursue 
him  ;   but  when  they  were  some  distance  away  the  Lion  ate  him  up. 


THE    ASS,    THE    LION,    AND    THE    COCK. 


55 


THE   WOLF   AND   THE   LAMB 


THE   WOLF   AND   THE    LAMB. 


A  WOLF  seeing  a  Lamb  drinking  at  a  brook,  took  it  into  his 
^^  head  that  he  would  find  some  plausible  excuse  for  eating  him. 
So  he  drew  near,  and,  standing  higher  up  the  stream,  began  to 
accuse    him    of    disturbing    the    water    and    preventing    him     from 

drinking. 

The    Lamb   replied   that   he   was   only  touching   the  water  with 
the  tips  of  his  lips  ;  and  that,  besides,  seeing  that   he  was  standing 


THE    WOLF    AND    THE    LAMB. 


59 


down  stream,  he  could  not  possibly  be  disturbing  the  water  higher 
up.  So  the  Wolf,  having  done  no  good  by  that  accusation,  said  : 
"  Well,  but  last  year  you  insulted  my  Father."  The  Lamb  replying 
that  at  that  time  he  was  not  born,  the  Wolf  wound  up  by  saying  : 
"  However  ready  you  may  be  with  your  answers,  I  shall  none  the 
less  make  a  meal  of  you." 


U-' ' 


(lI3-_ 


THE    MAN    AND    HIS   TWO  WIVES 


THE    MAN    AND    HIS   TWO  WIVES. 


A  MAN  whose  hair  was  turning  gray  had  two  Wives,  one 
young  and  the  other  old.  The  elderly  woman  felt  ashamed 
at  being  married  to  a  man  younger  than  herself,  and  made  it  a 
practice  whenever  he  was  with  her  to  pick  out  all  his  black  hairs  ; 
^vhile  the  younger,  anxious  to  conceal  the  fact  that  she  had  an 
elderly  husband,  used,  similarly,  to  pull  out  the  gray  ones.  So, 
between  them,  it  ended  in  the  Man  being  completely  plucked,  and 
becoming  bald. 


THE    MAN    AND    HIS    TWO    WIVES. 


63 


x\ 


THE   FOX  WITHOUT   A  TAIL 


K 


THE    FOX   WITHOUT   A   TAIL. 


A  FOX  had  had  his  tail  docked  off  in  a  trap,  and  in  his  disgrace 
began  to  think  his  life  not  worth  living.  It  therefore 
occurred  to  him  that  the  best  thing  he  could  do  was  to  bring  the 
other  Foxes  into  the  same  condition,  and  so  conceal  his  own 
deficiency  in  the  general  distress.  Having  assembled  them  all 
together  he  recommended  them  to  cut  off  their  tails,  declaring  that 
a  tail  was  an  ungraceful  thing;  and,  further,  was  a  hea\y  appendage, 


THE    FOX    WITHOUT    A    TAIL. 


67 


and  quite  superfluous.  To  this  one  of  them  rejoined :  "  My  good 
friend,  if  this  had  not  been  to  your  own  advantage  you  would 
never  have  advised  us  to  do  it." 


iJ^l 


THE    EAGLE   AND   THE   FOX 


N  ,   "\" 


■—.  ~  V 


//    -- )  ^'.^ 


THE    EAGLE    AND   THE    FOX. 


AN  Eagle  and  a  Fox  entered  into  a  covenant  of  mutual  affection 
and  resolved  to  live  near  one  another,  looking  upon  close 
intercourse  as  a  way  of  strengthening  friendship.  Accordingly  the 
former  flew  to  the  top  of  a  high  tree  and  built  her  nest,  while 
the  latter  went  into  a  bush  at  the  foot  and  placed  her  litter  there. 


THE    EAGLE    AND    THE    FOX. 


71 


One  day,  however,  when  the  Fox  was  away  foraging,  the  Eagle, 
being  hard  pressed  for  food,  swooped  down  into  the  bush,  snatched 
up  the  cubs  and  helped  her  own  fledglings  to  devour  them.  When 
the  Fox  came  back  and  saw  what  had  happened  she  was  not  so 
much  vexed  at  the  death  of  her  young  ones  as  at  the  impossibility 
of  requital.  For  the  Eagle  having  wings  and  she  none,  pursuit 
was  impossible.  So  she  stood  some  distance  away  and  did  all 
that  is  left  for  the  weak  and  impotent  to  do — poured  curses  on 
her  foe.  But  the  Eagle  was  not  to  put  off  for  long  the  punishment 
due  to  her  violation  of  the  sacred  tie  of  friendship.  It  happened 
that  some  country-people  were  sacrificing  a  goat,  and  the  Eagle 
flew  down  and  carried  away  from  the  altar  some  of  the  burning 
flesh.  But  when  she  had  got  it  to  her  eyrie  a  strong  wind  got 
up  and  kindled  into  flame  the  thin  dry  twigs  of  the  nest,  so  that 
the  eaglets,  being  too  young  to  be  able  to  fly,  were  roasted,  and 
fell  to  the  ground.  Then  the  Fox  ran  up  and,  before  the  Eagle's 
eyes,  devoured  them  every  one. 


THE   OX   AND   THE   FROG 


THE   OX   AND   THE    FROG. 


A  N  Ox,  as  he  was  drinking  at  the  water's  edge,  crushed  a  young 
Frog  underfoot.  When  the  mother  Frog  came  to  the  spot 
(for  she  happened  to  be  away  at  the  time)  she  asked  his  brothers 
where  he  was.  "  He  is  dead,  mother,"  they  said  ;  "  a  few  minutes 
ago  a  great  big  four- legged  thing  came  up  and  crushed  him  dead 
with  his  hoof."  Thereupon  the  Frog  began  to  puff  herself  out  and 
ask  whether  the  animal  was  as  big  as  that.  "  Stop,  mother,  don't 
put  yourself  about,"  they  said;  "you  will  burst  in  two  long  before 
you  can  make  yourself  the  same  size  as  that  beast." 


THE    OX    AND    THE    FROG. 


75 


Txoc/r-r  : 


THE   HAWK  CHASING  THE   DOVE 


€*s$WSfc. 


THE   HAWK  CHASING  THE   DOVE. 


A     HAWK    giving    headlong    chase   to   a    Dove    rushed    after    it 

into  a  farmstead,  and  was  captured  by  one  of  the  farm   men. 

The  Hawk  began  to  coax  the  man  to  let  him   go,   saying  that  he 

had  never  done   him   any   harm.       "No,"   rejoined   the   man;    "nor 

had  this  Dove  harmed  you." 


THE    HAWK    CHASING    THE    DOVE. 


79 


,^  ^^^ 


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